New class opens with flag ceremony

While they're enrolled as students at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, in some ways international officers at Fort Leavenworth also are part of the faculty.

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The Leavenworth Times - Leavenworth, KS

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Posted Feb. 12, 2013 at 9:00 AM

Posted Feb. 12, 2013 at 9:00 AM

While they're enrolled as students at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, in some ways international officers at Fort Leavenworth also are part of the faculty.

That's according to Lt. Gen. David G. Perkins, commanding general of the Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth.

Perkins said there are things American officers can learn from the international military students.

His comments came Monday during a International Flag Ceremony, which opened a new class at the CGSC.

The class of more than 300 includes 46 international officers from 44 countries. Most of the students in the class are U.S. Army majors. But the class also includes officers from the U.S. Navy and Air Force. They're enrolled in the 10-month Command and General Staff Officers' Course.

Monday's ceremony featured international military students posting the flags of their nations on a stage at the fort's Lewis and Clark Center. An American officer also posted his country's flag.

Perkins, who's the commandant of the CGSC, asked the international military students to offer insight about the history of their nations and why people in their countries think the way they do. He asked them to provide this insight as various issues come up in class.

He also asked the international officers to be constructive critics of how U.S. officers look at issues.

As the international military students try to develop an understanding of the U.S. Army, they have to get to know Americans, Perkins said.

"We are a professional and volunteer Army," he said. "So we come from the people."

He encouraged the international military students to travel while they're in the United States and attend social engagements.

Perkins said he hopes the homework he assigned to the international officers is something they can look forward to.